Ötztal Alps

{{short description|Mountain range in Austria and Italy}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name=Ötztal Alps

| photo=Hintere Schwaerze.jpg

| photo_caption=Hintere Schwärze

| country= {{hlist|Austria|Italy}}

| parent= Central Eastern Alps

| borders_on= Stubai Alps

| highest=Wildspitze

| elevation_m=3774

| range_coordinates= {{coord|46|45|N|10|55|E|type:mountain_region:AT_scale:300000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates= {{coord|46|53|49|N|10|52|31|E|type:mountain_region:AT_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}}

| area_km2=

| length_km=

| length_orientation=

| width_km=

| width_orientation=

| geology=

| orogeny=

| map_image=Ötztaler Alpen Map.png

| map_caption=Ötztal Alps
The borders of the range according to
Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps

}}

The Ötztal Alps{{Cite web |title=Ötztal Alps |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Otztal-Alps |access-date=22 March 2024 |website=Brittanica}} ({{langx|it|Alpi Venoste}}, {{langx|de|Ötztaler Alpen}}) are a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps, in the State of Tyrol in western Austria and the Province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.

Geography

The Ötztal Alps are arrayed at the head of the Ötztal valley, a side valley of the Inn river southwest of Innsbruck, Austria. One line of summits forms part of the border between Austria and Italy.

The Ötztal Alps are bordered by the Reschen Pass (1504 m) in the west and the Inn river in the northwest and north. In the east the range is separated from the Stubai Alps by the Ötztaler Ache in the Ötztal, the Timmelsjoch (2474 m) and the Passer river in the Passeier Valley. On the south and southwest, the range is limited by the deep valley of the Etsch river, here known as the Vinschgau.

The Ötztal Alps are surrounded by the following ranges:

In September 1991, Ötzi the so-called "Iceman" was found on the Hauslabjoch between the peaks Fineilspitze and Similaun.

Peaks

Image:BrandenbugerHausUndWeisskugel.jpg

The highest point of the Ötztal Alps is Wildspitze {{convert|3774|m|ft}}, which is also the second highest mountain in Austria (after Großglockner). Wildspitze is on one of several arms that extend north and northeast from the main ridge.

Some of the main peaks of the Ötztal Alps are:

class="wikitable"

! rowspan=2| Peak

colspan=2|Elevation
m || ft
Wildspitze3,77412,382
Weißkugel3,73912,267
Hintere Schwärze3,62811,903
Similaun3,60311,821
Ramolkogel3,55111,651
Schalfkogel3,54011,614
Hochvernagtspitze3,53511,598
Watzespitze3,53311,591
Weißseespitze3,51811,542
Fineilspitze3,51411,529
Hochwilde3,48011,417
Hinterer Seelenkogel3,47211,391
Bliggspitze3,45411,332
Lagaunspitze3,43911,283
Hochfirst3,40311,237
Verpeilspitze3,42511,165
Ehrichspitze

|3,420

|11,220

Hohe Geige3,39511,138
Valvelspitze

|3,360

|11,020

Glockturm3,35511,007
Rofelewand3,35311,001
Hochalt

|3,285

|10,778

Grawand

|3,251

|10,666

Remsspitze

|3,205

|10,515

Nederkogel

|3,163

|10,377

Hundstalkogel

|3,080

|10,100

Nauderer Hennesiglspitze

|3,042

|9,980

Wildnörderer

|3,015

|9,982

Endkopf

|2,652

|8,701

{{wide image|From Hohe Mut with hut.jpg|1100px|A panorama from Hohe Mut, above Obergurgl.}}

{{wide image|2015 0805 Panorama Stubaier and Ötztaler Alpen from Gaislachkogel.jpg|1100px|A panorama from the Gaislachkogel, above Sölden, with the Stubaier Alps on the left}}

Passes

The main mountain passes of the Ötztal Alps are:

class="wikitable"
----

! Mountain pass

! location

! type

! colspan="2" | elevation (m/ft)

----

| Gepatschjoch

Vent to the Kaunertal

| snow

324310,640
----

| Ramoljoch

Vent to Gurglsnow

| 3194

10,479
----

| Langtaufererjoch

Vent to the Reschen Pass

| snow

316710,391
----

| Gurgler Eisjoch

Gurgl to Schnals

| snow

313710,292
----

| Langthalerjoch

Gurgl to Pfelders-Plan

| snow

305810,033
----

| Niederjoch

Vent to Schnalssnow

| 3017

9899
----

| Pitztalerjöchl

| Mittelberg (Pitztal) to Sölden

| snow

29959826
----

| Eisjöchl am Bild

Pfelders to Schnals

| snow

29089541
----

| Venter Hochjoch

Vent to Kurzras

| snow

28859465
----

| Timmelsjoch (Passo del Rombo)

Sölden to Meran

| road

25098232
----

| Reschen Pass (Passo di Resia)

Landeck to Meran

| road

14944902

See also

{{commons category|Ötztal Alps}}

References